Oooohhhh!!! Sinisa goes close with his curling free kick, but Dida pulls off an extraordinary save and Inter win a corner.

9'

Kaka' interrrupts a good passing move by Inter, but the Nerazzurri win the ball back then win a free kick 30 yards out after Stam fouls Cruz.

7'

Inter counter-attack and Stam plays back to Dida to deny Obafemi Martins.

6'

Pirlo sends his cross to the far post. Cordoba heads away from danger.

5'

Cafu combines with Crespo on the right wing and is fouled by Favalli. Free kick to the Rossoneri.

3'

AC Milan win the first corner of the match after Cordoba tackles Crespo on the left-wing by-line.

2'

Veron plays to Martins on the right wing. The Nigerian looks for a way past Jaap Stam but is forced to retreat.

1'

Welcome to the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium for Euroderby Part 1. If it's Nerazzurri-biased commentary you're looking for, then don't leave this page.

1'

Inter team news: The Italian sports press predicted a 5-4-1 formation for tonight's quarter-final first leg but Nerazzurri coach Roberto Mancini has opted for a 4-4-2, with Cruz and Martins in attack. Christian Vieri starts on the bench.

1'

AC Milan team news: Central defender Nesta and striker Shevchenko both return from injury as Ancelotti fields what, on paper, is considered his strongest starting eleven.

1'

The teams are on the pitch, and the Nerazzurri are playing in their white away strip.

1'

After a minute's silence as a mark of respect for Pope John Paul II, the Nerazzurri kick off. FORZA INTER!!!!!!!!

Minutes

Text commentary

48'

Full time. AC Milan beat Inter 2-0 in Euroderby Part 1.

47'

Ancelotti replaces Cafu with Costacurta.

46'

Shevchenko tunrs and from 20 yards sends a ferocious shot on target. Toldo tips it over for a corner.

45'

Van der Meyde is obstructed by compatriot Jaap Stam on the left edge of the Milan box but we get a corner instead of a free kick.

45'

3 minutes of added time to play.

44'

Kaka's shot from inside the box is deflected. Corner.

43'

Giorgos Karagounis chests down van der Meyde's cross to the far post then hits it with a shot from a very tight angle.

41'

Oba Martins controls a Stankovic pass over the Rossoneri defence but can't stop the ball from going out of play. Goal kick to Milan.

39'

Milan bring off Crespo and on comes Ambrosini.

38'

Esteban Cambiasso finds the net with a shot from just inside the Milan area but the referee had already stopped play for a Vieri foul.

37'

Full marks again to Cordoba, who outpaces Crespo to a Shevchenko pass then plays back to Toldo.

37'

Van der Meyde receives on the left side of the Milan box and curls a cross into the middle. Dida outjumps Vieri and catches.

36'

Jaap Stam beats Martins to a ball on the right wing and concedes a throw-in.

36'

Mancini makes his third and final switch. Van der Meyde replaces C.Zanetti.

35'

Cafu hooks clear on the edge of the Rossoneri box to deny Martins a clear shot on goal.

34'

The Ukraine striker's effort hits the Inter wall.

33'

Cristiano Zanetti brings down Shevchenko on the edge of the Nerazzurri box and is booked.

32'

Sinisa Mihajlovic blocks Kaladze's dangerous ball into the box from the left flank.

30'

Shevchenko is booked for removing his shirt during his goal celebrations.

29'

Mihajlovic pushes Sheva to the ground and Milan win a free kick by the right-wing by-line.

29'

Shevchenko puts Milan 2-0 in front with a close-range header at the far post from Pirlo's outswinging free kick.

27'

Dida catches Stankovic's high cross in from the right.

26'

And Milan replace Nesta with Kaladze.

26'

In the meantime, Milan have won a free kick 30 yards out on the left for a foul on Pirlo.

26'

Pirlo's free kick goes wide of the left post.

25'

Inter bring on European champion Giorgos Karagounis for Veron.

24'

Martins retreats with the ball to escape Stam then plays wide to Favalli who crosses in from the left. The Dutch giant clears.

21'

The Serb-Montenegrin defender claims his free kick was handled by a player in the Milan wall and is booked for protesting.

20'

Stam fouls Vieri in a central position 35 yards out and is yellow-carded.

20'

Miha's left-footed effort hits the Rossoneri wall.

19'

Martins turns Gattuso then feeds the ball through to Christian Vieri, who is flagged offside.

17'

Favalli gets to the left-wing by-line then crosses. Cambiasso fails to connect with the ball and Pirlo sweeps clear.

16'

Nerazzurri midfielders Karagounis, Kily and van der Meyde are warming up on the touchline.

15'

Martins receives from Vieri on the left wing then takes on Stam but can't keep the ball in play and it's a Rossoneri goal kick.

14'

Dejan Stankovic plays an inviting ball into the Rossoneri box from the left wing. Vieri is just beaten to the ball by Dida.

13'

Pirlo plays an intelligent ball through to Cafu in the Inter box. The Brazilian is flagged offside.

12'

Crespo is flagged offside as he runs on to Pirlo's forward pass.

11'

Martins is shoved off the ball by Stam and once again, no free kick is given.

10'

Inter replace Cruz with Vieri.

9'

At the far post Shevchenko just fails to make contact with Kaka's dangerous inswinging cross from the left.

8'

Toldo comes off his line and beats Seedorf to a long ball into the Inter area.

7'

Milan break. Kaka' runs forward and takes his time before passing wide to Shevchenko, whose diagonal shot is blocked.

6'

Kaka' combines with Seedorf of the left edge of the Inter box but the Nerazzurri defence block the Brazilian's cross.

5'

Veron wins the ball off Maldini, who races on to a crossfield pass, but Sars awards Milan a free kick for what was a legitimate challenge by the Argentine.

3'

Stam fouls Martins in a central position 20 yards out. This is Mihajlovic territory.

3'

Miha's effort is just over.

1'

Milan get the second half under way. FORZA RAGAZZI!!!!!

1'

Stam, Maldini and Nesta surround Martins as he tries to feed a forward pass square to Cruz.

Vieri

5.36

5.36

Zanetti

5.59

5.59

Zanetti

5.65

5.65

Cordoba

6.72

6.72

Toldo

4.79

4.79

Martins

5.06

5.06

Van Der Meyde

4.69

4.69

Karagounis

5.5

5.5

Cruz

4.51

4.51

Stankovic

4.24

4.24

Favalli

4.86

4.86

Veron

5.01

5.01

Cambiasso

5.88

5.88

Mihajlovic

4.62

4.62

Average rating

5.18

3

shots on target

4

4

shots off target

4

17

fouls committed

27

8

corners

5

4

offsides

2

00

ball possession

00

Alain Sars: 1st Milan match, 3rd with Inter

Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Meazza is
referee Alain Sars' eleventh European match involving an Italian club (6
Italian victories, 3 draws and just one defeat). The Frenchman
officiates in a Milan match for the first time but has already refereed
Inter twice, and the Nerazzurri have won on both occasions: Inter 4-1
Ipswich (2001/02 Uefa Cup); Inter 4-3 Benfica (2003/04 Uefa Cup).

The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in 11 European Cup/Champions League
matches (6 wins and 5 draws since the 5-1 defeat at home to Arsenal
on 25 November 2003), and are now 2 games away from their record
of 12 positive results: 10 wins and 2 draws between September 1963
and February 1995. Inter's first defeat in the competition was a 1-0 loss
away to Glasgow Rangers on 3 March 1965.

Martins & European goals

With 8 Champions League goals to his credit, Obafemi Martins is fifth in
the all-time list of Nerazzurri scorers in the competition, behind Crespo
(9 goals), Adriano (10), Jair (11) and Mazzola (16).

Inter unbeaten away for almost a year

Inter haven't lost an away match since last 2 May when they were
beaten 2-1 by Lecce. Since then, the Nerazzurri have recorded 8 wins
and 14 draws in Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League matches.

Inter & goals conceded

The Nerazzurri have let in at least one goal in their last seven Serie A
and Champions League matches (total 8 goals conceded). Inter's last
clean sheet was the 3-0 Coppa Italia win at home to Atalanta on 16
February.

Milan on target for 11 consecutive games

AC Milan have scored at least one goal in each of their last 11 (Serie A,
Coppa Italia and Champions League) matches, notching a total of 17
goals. The last time the Rossoneri failed to score in a competitive fixture
was last 30 January when they were beaten 1-0 by Bologna at the
Giuseppe Meazza.

No Rossoneri stalemate in 16 games

AC Milan's last one-pointer was the 0-0 Serie A draw at Palermo on 9
January. Since then, Inter's Champions League quarter-final opponents
have recorded 13 wins and 3 defeats in all three competitions.

Milan & Eurogoals let in at home

AC Milan haven't let in a goal at home in European competitions for 287
minutes (since Varga's 73rd-minute goal in AC Milan 3-1 Celtic last 29
September). The Rossoneri have kept a clean sheet for the remaining
17 minutes of that match plus the entire games against Barcelona,
Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester United.

Milan & home draws in Europe

The Champions League semi-final first leg 0-0 draw between AC Milan
and Inter on 7 May 2003 was the Rossoneri's last home draw in
European cup competitions. Since then, Ancelotti's men have collected
7 victories and 2 defeats.

MILAN - AC Milan beat Inter 2-0 in Wednesday's Uefa Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium thanks to goals in each half from Jaap Stam and Andriy Shevchenko.

A string of saves by Dida in a Nerazzurri-dominated first half denied Mihajlovic and Veron from long-range free kicks, and Cruz, who went close to scoring with a crisp shot from inside the box on 44 minutes. But in added time Jaap Stam outjumped Ivan Cordoba to Pirlo's outswinging free kick and headed home to put the Rossoneri in front from their first attempt on goal.

Shevchenko celebrated his return from injury by increasing Milan's lead in the 29th minute of an evenly-balanced second half with a close-range header from another Pirlo free kick. Inter's best chance of reducing the deficit ahead of next Tuesday's return leg fell to substitute Giorgos Karagounis, who hit the post with a half-volley from a tight angle two minutes from full time.